Legislative Activity

The "JOBS Act of 2025" expands Federal Pell Grant eligibility to students enrolled in short-term job training programs (150-600 hours) that lead to credentials in high-demand fields. These programs must meet specific requirements, including alignment with industry needs and assurance from state boards. The act also requires accrediting agencies to assess the quality of these programs and mandates data sharing between the Departments of Education and Labor. Finally, the bill lowers the threshold for the minimum Federal Pell Grant from 10 percent to 5 percent.

The Hearing Protection Act seeks to deregulate firearm silencers by treating them like firearms, preempting state laws, and changing the tax structure. It mandates the destruction of existing silencer registration records and modifies the definition and marking requirements for silencers under federal law. The bill also imposes a 10% tax on firearm silencers or mufflers.

The "Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025" extends the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 through fiscal year 2026, providing continued payments to states and counties with federal land. It ensures that county payment elections from fiscal year 2023 remain effective and extends the authority for special projects on federal land and the expenditure of county funds. The bill also extends the Resource Advisory Committee pilot program and makes technical corrections to the original act.

The Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2025 allows individuals to exclude from their gross income any payments or benefits they receive from state-based catastrophe loss mitigation programs. These programs are designed to reduce property damage from natural disasters like windstorms, earthquakes, floods, or wildfires. This exclusion applies retroactively to taxable years starting after December 31, 2021, allowing individuals to claim refunds on previous tax returns.

The "Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025" introduces a federal tax credit for individuals and corporations who donate to scholarship granting organizations that provide educational scholarships to eligible elementary and secondary students. These scholarships can be used for tuition, books, tutoring, and other qualified education expenses. The bill sets a volume cap on the total amount of donations eligible for the tax credit and includes provisions to prevent government control over scholarship organizations and non-public schools. It also exempts these scholarship amounts from gross income.

The Laken Riley Act mandates the detention of illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It empowers state attorneys general to sue the Department of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State if they believe the state or its residents are harmed by violations of immigration enforcement or visa granting. The bill aims to ensure that these aliens are detained throughout their removal proceedings and to provide states with legal recourse against perceived failures in federal immigration enforcement.

This resolution designates January 26 through February 1, 2025, as "National School Choice Week," recognizing the importance of diverse educational options (public, charter, magnet, private, online, and homeschooling). It emphasizes the role of parents in choosing the best educational environment for their children and encourages awareness of the benefits of school choice. The resolution supports celebrating educational choice and acknowledges the contributions of students, parents, teachers, and school leaders.

The "Charitable Act" modifies and extends the deduction for charitable contributions for individuals who do not itemize deductions. For the 2026 and 2027 tax years, the deduction is capped at one-third of the standard deduction for the individual. The bill also eliminates a penalty related to this deduction. These changes are effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "Dignity for Aborted Children Act" requires abortion providers to offer patients the option to take possession of fetal remains for interment or cremation, or to release the remains to the provider for proper disposal. Abortion providers must obtain consent, maintain records, and submit annual reports on abortion procedures and fetal tissue disposal. Non-compliance can result in fines and imprisonment, but patients are exempt from prosecution. The act does not override state laws regarding the interment or cremation of human remains.

The "Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025" prohibits federal funding to colleges and universities that host or are affiliated with school-based service sites that provide abortion drugs or abortions to students or employees. To remain eligible for federal funds, these institutions must annually certify that their school-based service sites do not offer these services. Compliance with this law protects institutions from penalties under state law.

The "Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act" prohibits abortions performed because of a belief or diagnosis that an unborn child has Down syndrome, and establishes criminal penalties and civil remedies for violations. This bill also requires medical professionals to ask pregnant women about any knowledge or evidence concerning the unborn child having Down syndrome and informs them of the prohibitions of abortion under this section. Additionally, the bill specifies that violations will be considered discrimination under the Rehabilitation Act, potentially resulting in a loss of federal funding.

The "Restoring Confidence in the World Anti-Doping Agency Act of 2025" aims to ensure the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has a credible, independent governance model and fully implements governance reforms. It requires the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to evaluate WADA's compliance with these standards, promote fair U.S. representation, and counter doping in all forms. If WADA does not meet the criteria, the ONDCP may withhold membership dues and must report on barriers to U.S. participation. The ONDCP must submit a spending plan to Congress before providing funds to WADA.

The "Main Street Tax Certainty Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the deduction for qualified business income permanent. This is achieved by eliminating the expiration date for this deduction. This change provides long-term tax certainty for small businesses.

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Energy rule setting energy conservation standards for gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. By disapproving the rule, Congress prevents its enforcement.

The "Unborn Child Support Act" amends the Social Security Act to include unborn children in child support enforcement, allowing mothers to seek child support from the biological father starting from the first month of conception. It ensures states establish and enforce these obligations while protecting the interests and safety of both the mother and the unborn child, with collections potentially dating back to conception, and prevents the modification of these requirements through experimental projects. These changes take effect two years after enactment.

This resolution honors Mississippi's Gestational Age Act and Representative Becky Currie's role in the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade. It recognizes the decision to return the authority to regulate abortion to the states and expresses gratitude to states enacting laws to protect mothers and unborn children.

The "Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act" prohibits federal funds from going to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates. It states that the funds will still be available to other eligible entities for women's health services. It does not alter existing abortion-related limitations or decrease overall federal funding for women's health initiatives.

The "Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025" aims to improve foster care and adoption outcomes by requiring states to develop and implement "family partnership plans." These plans focus on data-driven recruitment, support, and retention of foster and adoptive families, with an emphasis on kinship placements and reducing congregate care. The Act also mandates increased data collection and reporting on foster family capacity, demographics, and challenges to better inform recruitment and support efforts at the state and federal levels.

The Dismantle Iran's Proxy Act of 2025 redesignates Ansarallah as a foreign terrorist organization, imposing sanctions and requiring a strategy to restore freedom of navigation in key waterways. It mandates a report on obstacles to humanitarian aid in Yemen under Ansarallah's control and requires the president to determine if Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and Abdullah Yahya al-Hakim are officials, agents, or affiliates of Ansarallah.

The Offshore Energy Security Act of 2025 mandates the Department of Interior to conduct at least 20 offshore oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico between 2026 and 2035, each offering a minimum of 74,000,000 acres. It protects existing leases from legal challenges and extends the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico until December 31, 2035, while newly including the South Atlantic Planning Area and the Straits of Florida Planning Area in the moratorium. The bill allows leases within moratorium areas for environmental conservation.